8 interesting facts about DNA
- Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and some viruses.
- DNA in all humans is 99.9 percent identical. It is about one tenth of one percent that makes us all unique, or about 3 million nucleotides difference.
- DNA is often compared to a set of blueprints or a recipe, or a code, since it contains the instructions needed to construct other components of cells, such as proteins and RNA molecules.
- A simple list of the bases of the entire DNA is enough to fill 200 New York City phone books.
- Within cells, DNA is organized into long structures called chromosomes. These chromosomes are duplicated before cells divide, in a process called DNA replication.
- DNA testing can determine if crops are authentic or if certain gourmet foods such as caviar and wine are authentic.
- Our genes are remarkably similar to those of other life forms. For example, we share 98% of our genes with chimpanzees, 90% with mice, 85% with zebra and 21% with worms.
- The only cells in the human body that do not contain DNA are red blood cells.
